Khammam: The movement of a tiger was found in an area two kilometre away from Sattupalli town as also elsewhere in the region, forest officials confirmed on Friday.
The pugmark of a tiger was first found behind the temple of Neeladri in Penuballi mandal and a second pug mark some 30km away. The tiger entered the Sattupalli forest range four days back, officials said.
“The tiger is walking some 30km a day and it is suspected to have demarcated the area. There, however, was no incident of tiger attacks, and the cattle in the villages in the region were safe so far. It meant the tiger preyed on the wildlife in the area,” they said.
According to the reports, the wild life number increased in recent times due to the reduced movement of the people moments in the forest areas.
There exist the spotted deer, bison, sambar and wild boars in the region’s forest. The state’s Haritaharam endeavour of the government has caused an increase in the forest cover as thousands of saplings were planted in the barren lands of the forests.
The people are no more entering the forests for firewood as was the case earlier and this is also a convenient situation to tigers.
Forest range officer Venkateswarlu, who noticed the tiger’s pugmark, said a tiger would change its territorial range whenever it desired so.
“We were surprised to notice the tiger movement in Sattupalli forest range. The tiger may be the same one that entered Kothagudem district from Warangal. It keeps moving in the forests and came to Sattupalli in recent days.”
As for Sattupalli forest range, a leopard was found in the forests ten years back. After that, there was no trace of either a leopard or tiger until the pugmark was noticed this week.
N Ramu, a farmer in Penuballi said, “We were surprised by the tracing of tiger pugmarks in our forest area. I urge my fellow farmers to be cautious while moving near the forest areas.”
